Gilbert waits and grows at Fairfield

William S. Paxton

Updated 12:44 am, Monday, July 8, 2013

FAIRFIELD -- The first game in a Fairfield Stags' uniform could come in the season opener against Sacred Heart. It also might not arrive until around Christmas time.

Regardless of when it comes, Malcolm Gilbert is not getting bogged down worrying about his fate, which rests in the hands of the NCAA.

"I kind of just try to stay in the present because there's no time like the present," said Gilbert, who is back in town working at coach Sydney Johnson's basketball camps at Alumni Hall. "I'm just trying to keep my head down and work. Whether it is at the start of the season or December, I'm going to give it my all. I'm going to be ready."

Johnson said the Stags still hope that Gilbert, who transferred mid-season from Pittsburgh to play with his younger brother Marcus at Fairfield, might be cleared to start the season with the team. Johnson did not have a timetable for an answer from the NCAA, but as of now, Gilbert is not eligible to play until December even though he was redshirting with the Panthers last season at the time of his transfer.

Gilbert, who has practiced with the team since arriving, has no regrets about his decision to leave Pitt even if he ends up keeping him off the floor for over a year.

"I'm pretty happy," said Gilbert, whose older sister, Milana, plays basketball at the University of Hartford and also stayed in Connecticut for the summer. "I'm near my family now and these guys welcomed me in with open arms. The culture here is great, the coaches ... the campus, it's beautiful here and I've adapted here well."

The coaching staff certainly has no regrets about bringing in the 6-foot-11 center, who played in 19 games off the bench at Pitt during the 2011-12 season.

"He's a great teammate," Johnson said. "He's been very supportive of his teammates and he's trying to work hard. He's conscientious and he knows when he's giving the best effort he can, and when he hasn't he holds himself accountable for that. "

Even though Gilbert was a high school star at the Academy of the New Church (Pa.) and Big East recruit, Johnson would like to prevent the hype surrounding Gilbert's arrival from weighing him down once he takes the floor.

"There's the defense, the rebounding and the shot blocking -- those things come very naturally to him," Johnson said. "He's a big kid who moves well, so we are just trying to smooth out some things offensively. He has incredible potential, he really does, but we don't want to put too much on his plate in the beginning. Like I said, just let him blossom like the other (new) guys.

"He actually has a really nice shot," Johnson added. "He knocks a lot of shots down from 15 feet, but we just don't want to overload him."

The 21-year-old Gilbert, who was ranked a top-20 center coming out of high school by both Rivals.com (No. 17) and Scout.com (No. 19) understands the expectations fans will have on him once he takes the court.

"I've handled it pretty well," said Gilbert, who is rooming with freshman Doug Chappell over the summer.

"I don't let myself get too high and I don't let myself get too low as far as self-esteem goes. I pretty stay even keel because you are going to have those good nights and those bad nights.

"You can't let your head get too big. Just stay humble, stay focused and keep working each and every day because each day has its own challenge," he added.

"That's the worst thing stepping on the floor and trying to meet those expectations -- I just want to play basketball the best I can."

NOTES: Sophomore centerJosip Mikulic will not return to Fairfield and instead will pursue playing options overseas. The 7-footer started 16 of 33 games and averaged 4.3 points and 1.9 rebounds. "Josip has been contacted by professional teams in Europe and will not return to Fairfield," Johnson confirmed in a text message. "Josip established a solid base for his basketball and basketball skills while at Fairfield. I wish Josip all the best (in his next move)." ... The Stags now have two scholarships available, with the priority being a versatile big man and also a guard who score along with handle the ball, according to Johnson. ... SMU transfer Brian Bernardi reportedly visited Fairfield last week and has narrowed his choices down to the Stags and Hofstra, according to csnwashington.com. The 6-2 guard averaged 3.5 points in 11.5 minutes per game this past season for the Mustangs.